Khaleda verdict certified copy in reasonable time: Law minister

Law minister Anisul Huq on Friday denied the allegation that the authorities are deliberately making delay in issuing the certified copy of the verdict that sentenced the country’s main opposition leader Khaleda Zia to jail.

“Khaleda Zia’s lawyers are lying. They will get the copy within a timeframe which is reasonable for typing the 632-page verdict. It will not be delayed even by one minute and the government won’t interfere in it,” said the law minister while talking to newsmen in Brahmanbaria.

The verdict was handed down on 8 February and there were rumours that Khaleda Zia might be shown arrested in a few other cases.

The minister said Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson Khaleda Zia has been shown arrested in no other cases. “And she won’t be shown arrest in any more cases.”

Also a ruling Bangladesh Awami League (AL) man, the minister visited Brahmanbaria to join programmes there organised by local AL and its front organisations, apart from paying final tributes to the district’s Akhaura upazila AL member Obaidul Haque.